Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,598 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,150 in Durres.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Durres is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.49 ALL 776

67.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$34.73 ALL 2,838

82.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.02 ALL 574

47.86%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.87 ALL 153

49.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.59 ALL 130

47.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.83 ALL 68.1

89.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.33 ALL 191

47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.31 ALL 270

18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.99 ALL 162

-45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.91 ALL 74.3

94.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.03 ALL 166

-15.76%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.95 ALL 241

6.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.51 ALL 859

30.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.78 ALL 636

2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.40 ALL 1,094

15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.15 ALL 94.3

99.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.36 ALL 193

-30.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.30 ALL 106

49.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.20 ALL 97.7

109.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.09 ALL 89.2

64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.04 ALL 84.7

93.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.15 ALL 93.7

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 ALL 52.2

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.18 ALL 341

62.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$10.92 ALL 892

-48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.67 ALL 136

-16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.82 ALL 148

65.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.46 ALL 37.36

393.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$18.43 ALL 1,506

146.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.62 ALL 296

18.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.05 ALL 167

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$17.71 ALL 1,447

3.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.20 ALL 180

-9.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K €30.2K

$15.2K ALL 1.2M

130.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.5K €34.1K

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

55.09%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 €126

$67.9 ALL 5,548

115.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.45 €17.62

$17.82 ALL 1,456

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$15.72 ALL 1,284

147.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.03 ALL 3,025

32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$59.5 ALL 4,857

-68.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.16 ALL 585

32.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$608 €524

$179 ALL 14.6K

240.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,380 ALL 357.8K

276.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$37.91 ALL 3,097

174.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$39.86 ALL 3,257

5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$84.6 ALL 6,910

9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$156 ALL 12.7K

-23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$427 ALL 34.9K

279.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$311 ALL 25.4K

307.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$614 ALL 50.2K

396.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$424 ALL 34.6K

373.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,812 ALL 148.1K

322.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,156 ALL 94.4K

274.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$834 ALL 68.1K

90.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.33

-28.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Durres: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $427 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 90% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $242 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 90% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $427 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Durres – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 147% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,046 in Durres versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,046 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Durres are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.